The present invention relates generally to an article of footwear, and in particular to an article of footwear with cleat members.
Articles of footwear with cleat members of different sizes have been previously proposed. Sumitomo (U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,996) teaches a cleat structure that includes a variety of projections on a shoe sole. Sumitomo teaches a pin that is the tallest cleat. Sumitomo teaches that the hardness of the pin is greater than an adjacent cleat element. Additionally, British patent application publication number 2,223,394 teaches a shoe sole including a variety of cleats formed integrally with the sole that penetrate only a small distance into the ground with removable, larger cleats that can penetrate more deeply. The integral cleats can be cylindrical in shape and have a rounded top surface.
The related art lacks provisions for providing footwear that can achieve maximum traction on various types of ground surfaces. There is a need for articles that address the limitations of the related art.